On 10/13/07, ashok _ <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On 10/13/07, Sriram Karra wrote: > > > > > http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/10/12/business/12cars.php > > >t would be much >easier to charge a congestion tax (daily / monthly ) for any personal >transport with four wheels in an urban area, and hand-in-hand improve >the public transport system, and encourage usage of 2 wheelers and >cycles..
Sriram.... I disagree with that chronological order of doing things..only when the public transportation system is in place, and the public has no good excuse to keep taking their cars out, can you penalize them for doing so. In Bengaluru for example, I have started using public transport regularly. And though the short-haul connections have improved tremendously, the long-haul (from, say, north to south Bangalore) is extremely bad, and I must schedule MORE time for going by public transport than I would to go by car. I am proposing to do today, to go from South Bangalore to Cantonment Station area. In this case, if I had a)not had the time free to do this and b) not been guilt-tripped by all I read into still taking public transportation, I would, of course, opt for taking the car. If I do not have good public transportation to use, am paying through my nose for petrol anyway, and will be further penalized...where do I go? > > > > It really doesnt make practical sense to use a car in a city. Unfortunately, in Bangalore,sorry, Bengaluru today..it DOES. >encourage usage of 2 wheelers I disagree with you...carbon-fuel two-and three-wheelers, with their easy manouverabililty, and consequent bad road-usage, CAUSE much of the problems of congestion in any city. Yes, cycling *should* be encouraged...as of now, I cycle quite a lot, and can say that it is pretty dangerous except in the middle of the afternoon in Bangalore. But not everyone can either afford a car, or be fit enough to cycle through the exhaust fumes. Since I have been using public transport as much as possible, and cycling and walking, I think I can speak about Bangalore, at least. We are fighting the proposal by our local administration to cut down about 400 trees so that they can widen the roads in the centre of Bangalore further... The worst off in such scenarios is the poor pedestrian..but I can go on and ON when I get on to this topic.... Deepa (two wheels, pedals, and carbon-filled lungs.)
